imperial_stage | Ignoble defeat

[Sync managed to to free himself from the guards, but it seemed they weren't going to relent. Kneeling briefly, Sync gathered everything around him and struck the nearest guard that threatened to slice him.]

Stone Dragon Ascent!

[The effect was immediate, as the charged Earth attack unleashed in a small area around the boy, he rose into the air and guards trying to encircle him were hit by the seismic forces unleashed. He wasn't done yet though. They weren't going to trouble him again. He knelt again, slamming his hand onto the floor as a glyph drew itself around him.]

You're Dead!

[As the powerful energy accumulated, he screamed as a means of helping him focus to control the energies as the guards were assaulted by the pulses of energy that bleed off the charging attack before they column of energy erupted--] Akashic Torment! [--with such force that two of the weakest were completely burned away, the rest, it was unsure to tell whether they died or passed out from shock, but at least he could finally get that hateful bitch that embarrassed him, twice. Quickly he ran through the halls, while even now his small gathering of apprentices were already bearing down upon the woman as Delacroix had ordered. Once they caught sight of her, they would alert him before swooping in.]

Far away, Kushana strode quickly down the city streets. She didn't want to attract attention to herself, or she'd be running.

However, when a shuriken glanced off the mail she was wearing under her cloak, she decided that speed was more important than stealth. She was sure some sort of signal had gone out before the attack had come. She broke into a run.

[There were plenty more to follow that shuriken, but Kushana wasn't going to be taken down by those, at best she might be steered if they were lucky. They were trying to drive her to one of the more rundown parts of town in the hopes that not only would it get her away from wherever she was trying to get to, but it would also make help that much harder to get to. It helped they had the advantage in height for some of their numbers ran amongst the rooftops while the rest kept to the shadows and alleyways. Sync was in too much of hurry to bother with such things though, tearing through the myriad of streets, urging his men to stop her faster.

Two of them dropped infront of a gate that was clearly in her path, drawing their swords to either halt her or send her where they wanted her to go.]

Kushana drew her own sword as she closed in on the gate. Her first slash sent the left ninja's sword sailing through the air along with a number of his fingers. The second shattered the right ninja's sword into fragments. While he stood their staring at the stump of his blade, the third stroke hacked into his skull like an overripe melon.

And with that Kushana was past them. Seems pretty clear she has a specific destination in mind.

[At last, she was close enough for him to use his magic. While he didn't particularly care about the ninja's that had been assigned to him; Sync knew it was better to try and steal some vengeance for them than act like their death was meaningless, even though it was. As he gathered his ~~fonons~~ mana, he locked in, only to be bumped by an idiot hurrying by.]

Howl O raging wind! Turbulence!

[While his aim was off due to his lack of proper training and the interruption, the spell cast immediately, a stand next to the woman exploding as a small storm appeared in the middle of it, ripping it apart with blades of wind and vacuums of their passing. It seemed the Crystal King chose today to finally repay the boy for his endless scorn and hatred of his fate.

But he wouldn't quit now. She was going to die if took everything. He pressed on as a third fool leapt infront of the would-be Empress, an flurry of kunai flying towards her in a steep arc.]

Kushana stumbled as the fruit stand to her left exploded, spraying her with splinters and fruit pulp, but managed to keep one step ahead of her hunter. The majority of the kunai missed as she darted around a corner. A few more were turned by her armor. One nicked the back of her head.

[Damn her! This was going to take more preparation than he'd originally been told, and it was too late to withdraw like a coward.

Sync ran on, leaping over the remnants of the fruit stall as the own was trying to lob bits of fruit at the boy. He was so annoyed about how poorly things were going he didn't even notice she'd at last been nicked. At his signal, another ninja dropped infront of her, knowing his life was forfeit for the action. It would buy Sync precious time now though: he was close enough to engage her again, and with a final leap, closed the distance, pressing his hand to her back as it glowed with a dark malignancy. This might also slow her down from the pain as his Curse Slot burned onto her skin beneath the armor. He wouldn't use it now, no. He'd wait until she was desperate to spring this final trap.]

The ninja got lucky; he kept his life, but lost an arm. However that slowed Kushana down enough that Sync could close the distance. The next thing she knew she felt a searing pain in the small of her back, causing her to fall. She handled the fall well, quickly rolling to her feet again, but she knew she had lost one advantage she had: Momentum. She turned to face Sync, sword at the ready. "Probably not interested in taking prisoners at this point, are you?"

[Stumbling away, the ninja prayed in thanks for his luck, but that's another story.

Giving her nothing of his expression by keeping his mask tilted down, Sync didn't let down his guard for a second.]

It is part of my orders, but... You're not going to come quietly; I can tell. Now, I'll show you why they call me Sync the Tempest.

[Rushing into motion, the boy put on a lot more speed than he had been already, dancing in close with some careful footwork as he went for her sword arm again with both fists.]

"Then come. We've started down the path, let us finish it and become demons of battle!"

Kushana managed to twist her arm just so that Sync didn't actually break it, but it still exploded into firey pain. She eyed the other assassins closing in as she switched her grip. Too many to fight on her own, especially when forced to fight left handed. It galls her almost past words to meet such an ignoble, or worse, an anonymous end, but at this point there isn't much she can do about it but go down fighting. She pressed the attack as best she could with a sudden strike at Sync's face with her sword.

[He didn't expect her to give in, and she didn't disappoint, but, he never would have expected her to go for his face at this moment, when he'd been ready to deliver a cross to her face. He whipped back, but her sword still struck true, cleaving off part of his mask, and making the artifact collapse back into it's twin earcuffs to avoid total destruction.

Underneath lay a normal boy's face, who would be familiar to those that kept up with the Chruch, and but instead of kindness overflowing; his eyes burned with hate, for her, him, the Church, everything in the world.]

So you've seen it...

[He didn't let up, his hand glowing again for another Reaper's Toll as he jumped, flipping in the air as he kicked at her face to off set her and then move in to deliver the blow to her leg, if she started running again; he couldn't follow right away until he did something about his face. He was so focused however, he was easily exposed to threats besides the warrior woman.]

So the Emperor was dead, killed by his own son. Gannicus hadn't cared. He didn't care who ruled Dagaria as long as he could still have the things he wanted. Really, he was a simple man, wanting only for women, wine and glory in the Arena. He was a man without a cause, one that cared for no one but himself. And really, the only thing that motivated him to get involved in this mess was that, despite knowing it was a lost cause, a part of him still wanted to fuck Kushana. She was also the closest thing to a domina he'd seen in a while, and old habits died hard, even after five years...

Gladiators fought to kill and this was no different when Gannicus moved quickly in with hie twin swords, one moving to slice at the boy's side beneath his ribs. Either he would die or at least abort his attack on Kushana. But Gannicus didn't stop moving, continuing between the two until he was at the other two men.

"Seen what? A boy who's too young to even take his cock in hand? This lady prefers a man," he taunted Sync as his swords feed the ground with the blood of the other two and he turned back.

The Crystal King knew she could use a rescue right now, but why him?

Kushana jerked her leg back before Sync could break it, then pressed her back again Gannicus' "You have better timing than tact, Gladiator. Pray you have good luck, too, and we might both get out of this alive."

[Sync had been concentrating, and should have died. Luck, though, in the form of loyal, if not easily-killed subordinates kept that from happening, as the sword did catch him, but only superficially. He flipped back, landing on his feet and checking to see if he was bleeding.]

The Roman pervert. [He spit as this was said to emphasize his opinion.] You assume a lot, but that'll make this all the better! [He dashed in, knowing he didn't have a safety net if he screwed up again; it was time to stop letting all the secondary thoughts distract him and focus. Knowing one or both would slice, he waited and leapt, standing on the flat of the blade for less than the breath of a second before moving off of it, flipping as he then spun for a kick at the both of them.]

"Skill is better than luck, m'lady. Or tact," Gannicus replied to Kushana, his grin not even remotely present on his face as his eyes followed Sync's every move. This was the most serious the woman had ever seen him.

"You've never fought a gladiator before," he said to the assassin as he followed Kushana's lead, but not sticking close to her side. One opponent meant flanking was the best option. He wasn't thinking 'flee' but 'kill'.

As Sync jumped, so did Gannicus, but he used the nearby stand to get both air and momentum in an attack that was second nature to him. As he descended back toward the ground, he brought both swords down, slashing at Sync's back.

"So you say..." Cradling her injured arm, Kushana was content to catch her breath while the two men fought it out. She knew they didn't have long, though. Sync no doubt had backup coming. The Church was amazingly powerful.

[Sync spun, catching one blade between his fingers and pushing it aside, the other he did take a noticeable and deep gash to his arm because he blocked too late.

Kicking off the gladiator's chest, Sync moved back to the ground, gathering the energy around him as he readied for Stone Dragon Ascent again, intent on catching the man as he fell into the elemental earth energy and rising rocks from the uppercut attack.]

Stone Dragon Ascent!

Gannicus was in the moment, in the fight. Sure he was aware of his surroundings, always aware, but he didn't care if others were coming. He'd fought against greater odds in the Arena before. And with fire involved and others in plate armor.

There wasn't any way for him to avoid the magic-charged attack, so he reduced the damage as much as he could, getting his swords crossed before him to block the attack. Still, it forced his sword back enough that one cut his forehead before he hit the ground. He was moving as soon as he hit, rolling up onto his knee in the same motion he slashed at one leg and stabbed downward at one foot.

[He missed the foot, but that was the second slash Sync had gotten today.

He didn't go down, he was too stubborn, and here he was struck with a sudden thought of enjoyment. Maybe if he ever lived into adulthood, this might be fun to do. That was in another day and time however.]

Not bad! [He was moving again, and even though he was still bleeding pretty freely from both an arm and leg he didn't slow down. Gannicus wasn't wearing that heavy plate mail that Kushana's Imperial Guard had; Reaper's Toll would not only hurt him, but blow him back a ways to give the boy a second to think of the next step, but he could feel it, bearing down on them like some kind of righteous light; the Church's Templar were coming, and Sync would have to withdraw for not even they could see his face.]

But we'll have to try this another day probably.[He drew back his fist as the energy gathered, and whether he'd find his hand itself cut or he did manage a hit, there'd be a small burst of energy to separate them.]

Ignoble defeat

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